Bigoszewska Wanda. Польские ордена и знаки отличия. Polskie ordery i odznaczenia

Interpress, 1989. — 137 р. — ISBN-13: 978-8322322871 Gives color photo of the medals and decorations along with a history of each. Although Polish statehood is over ten centuries long, the history of Polish award system is distinctly shorter - less than three hundred years now. The reason for the relatively late start of Poland in the area of orders was unwillingness, if not hatred of Polish gentry for the very institution of orders, perceiving them as a threat to the "golden" principle of equality of all noblemen. An attempt of king Ladislas IV to create the Order of Immaculate Conception of the Holy Virgin in 1633 was rejected by the Parliament. Thus, the first mode Polish order - the Order of the White Eagle was instituted by king Augustus II as late as in 1705 (although some historians trace it back to the year 1325). Then came the Order of St. Stanislas, instituted 1765, and in 1792 the Order Virtuti Militari, the first one of purely military character, came into existence. That order continued to be awarded throughout the Napoleonic era and in the uprising of 1830-1831 against tsarist Russia. It was renewed many times and it is still the highest decoration for bravery on battlefield.